less than one of her male employees? your "new day" starts right your "new day" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good morning. welcome to "new day." it's may 15th, 6:00 in the east. thousands of people leaving everything behind, their home, their belongings, just to save themselves and loved ones from epic wildfires in southern california. crews are stretched to the breaking point as they struggle for control of lines of burn that keep popping up even through the night. right now, nine fires, 10,000 acres scorched. and a perfect storm of bad elements for fighting a fire. meteorologist indra petersons has the latest. >> as much of the state is sitting in extreme drought conditions. now, on top of that add record-breaking heat, low humidity, and a horrible santa

ana wind event. breaking overnight at least nine fires now spreading rapidly erupting one right after the other already destroying dozens of homes. you can hear the roar of massive flames engulfing close to 10,000 acres in san diego county. the governor declaring a state of emergency. >> we're doing evacuations. >> reporter: tens of thousands now fleeing. their homes in jeopardy. even lego land, a popular amusement park, is forced to close, along with the university campus, a nuclear power plant, and camp pendleton. one of the largest military bases partially evacuated. >> we have winds, low humidity down into the single digits. >> reporter: thousands of firefighters working around the clock. stunted by 100 degree heat and wind gusts close to 50 miles per hour. >> the wind can change and all of a sudden it seems like we're going to be safe and we're not. we packed everything and we're out of there. >> reporter: the winds producing terrifying fire whirls in some

parts. the phenomenon caused by intersecting wind patterns slinging fire debris further complicating efforts to douse the flames. the blaze is so out of control the military is intervening. battling the inferno within seven tankers and a dc10 plane mounted with tanks that can hold up to 50 tons of water. >> we're getting help, but the fight is very from over. >> that looks like it's going to be another tough day for firefighters. fire danger in the region. keep in mind they have a deficit of rain, typically you see the peak of fires right around the fall but now with all this dry brush and the rough conditions you're looking at the peak already starting this early. let's hope this is not a trend that will continue. >> indra, you see it's ticking up early this year. thank you so much. let's turn now to more of donald sterling in his own words. part of the cnn exclusive interview. sterling still insists he is not a racist and hopes his fellow owners, players, and fans will

forgive him. remorse, he offers for what this all has done to his estranged wife shelly, and sterling believes when the smoke clears he will still own the clippers. >> you believe you will be able to keep the team though? >> well -- the advertisers certainly, you know, are -- advertisers are all coming back. let's not be crazy. the fans will all come if you have a good team. if you don't have a good team, they will come. >> even if you are? >> what am i, a frankenstein? what am i, some kind of ogre? i'm a good person. aim warm person. i say hello to everybody who comes to the team. >> there are some players though who talked about a boy t ccott the season? >> let's talk. the media pushes that. why would they do that if they get their salaries, they're going to play. i mean, one day they all love you and the next day you make a mistake and say something and something and they hate you?

is that the way it is? what if a player said, i don't like working for that jew, what would we do? i wouldn't do anything. i would ask him why, why? i want to make you happy. if you want more money, you know, more attention, more love? >> do you think your wife shelly should also be removed as an owner? >> do i think she should what? >> should she be able to maintain her stake, her ownership stake? the team is owned by a trust. >> my wife, shelly and i are in the pro dcess of a divorce. you know, she's worked with me for 58 years, my wife. one wife, 58 years. and she loved the team and always helped me with everything. if for some reason i can't have the team, i think that she

should have her interest -- i mean, she didn't do anything. i brought all this on her. the poor girl. i don't know how she can live and deal with this. i guess i was bad committing all of those terrible -- i don't even want to say it. but, you know, people say, how do you commit adultery? you justify things. you say, well, every man in paris or france has a mistress. i mean, it may make you smile, but when you're so old you don't think it's wrong anymore, if you have a little bit of fun. you don't have much time. if you have a little bit of fun, you can't do what you did before and nobody expects -- but you want to be cared for. everybody wants to be cared for. i made such a mistake. i thought that woman really cared for me.

>> if your wife maintained her stake in the team, would you be able to influence events through her? >> probably not. if they want to negotiate, they would probably deal with me separately. >> now you have to balance your instinct to say i've had enough of this guy i don't want to hear about this anymore with the urgency we need to maintain to see what happens here. mel robbins, cnn commentator and legal analyst. good to have you here. anderson laid out an interesting hypothetical that i think probably is only a hypothetical but i want your take, doug. the idea that shelly may keep the team. is there any basis for that in what we understand about how the franchise agreement works? >> well, there's a real question with that right now, chris, between the interpretation of the nba constitution. again, we keep going back primarily to section 13-d and relevant language there being

deviate from your contractual agreement to do anything to negatively impact the members or the association. and when you pull that singular sound bite from mr. sterling's sit-down with anderson cooper i did a terrible thing, i humiliated the owners, we have the best owners in the league and i hope they forgive me. that is broad language. certain provisions are deliberately written broad such that they can be used to utilize situations such as this. >> mel, the way i read it is the league owns the rightses to who gets a franchise just like mcdonald's. it's like owning a mcdonald's, owning one of these teams. it doesn't matter if your ownership of your interest in mcdonald's is in a trust or only you own it or whatever. if, as mcdonald's, pull your franchise, i pull it from anyone who owns it on your side. so shelly has no shot at keeping it. what do you think? >> absolutely. you're absolutely right, chris. there's a couple of things. people keep confusing the term

owner. in the nba contracts there's a couple of layers of ownership, chris. there's a controlling owner of which there are only 30 and donald sterling is the controlling owner. and then there are lots of other folks that are general owner where's they get to brag that they own a team, they get some of the benefits of owning a team, but they don't make controlling decisions. who is it, by the way, that put dick parsons in place as ceo of the clippers? it wasn't shelly sterling because she wasn't the controlling own per it's the nba because they're in charge of the team. the interesting thing, chris, is how does the fact that shelly is a part owner due to this trust and the fact that they may be going through a divorce impact this? i think in the end what's going to happen is that the divorce proceedings, any injunctions that the sterlings may file, are only going to delay things. that could make it a pain for the nba but ultimately there is

language here in the contract. we haven't even seen the franchise agreement, chris. we have not seen the joint venture agreement that gave donald sterling control or ownership. but there's language in there according to sources that everybody's citing including "sports illustrated" that have a morals clause. and here's one more thing i think you will find interesting, chris. the only defense that donald sterling truly had to any of this was that his conduct wasn't willful. right? that he was taped against his will because one of the provisions in the nba bylaws say it has to be willful. well, i kind of think that anderson cooper's interview and everything he said in the interview, which he consented to, is additional impact to the nba and could be used by the nba to say, look, buddy, if it wasn't the taped conversation, it's certainly all this stuff that you said to anderson. >> strong point. i want quick takes on two other issues. one, doug, if you will

consulting with the league, do you think the owners should vote sooner or later? what's your take? >> quickly, i think they would have to do their due diligence because there's a difference in a viable defense and certifiable last stand. i think that's what my colleague was referring to. i'm not saying that ultimately mr. sterling will have a vie rabble defense but i think he will put up a fight. the more permanent the decision will be. >> mel, you've got the players coming out saying they better do it or we're going to boycott, this matters, this matters. there are optics involved, not just legalities. >> i think you have to go immediately because the longer this thing draws out, chris, the more fatigued people are going to get. you got to go fast and furious on this one. >> last quick take. the maserati factor. this guy comes out who is called a nickname maserati. he says i'm the run, i taped the conversation with sterling. if that is true, if this guy was the one having a conversation with sterling, does that mean that sterling either for tgot

about it or lied about only having a conversation with magic johnson? what's the impact on that, doug? >> that's hard to tell. california has a clear law. so far as unconsented recordings of an individual absent their knowledge or consent. i think maserati is open to liability and others who have leaked it as well. >> let me end on this because i get you on the law. but on just the nature of how it smell, mel, if sterling put it out there that he was only talking to magic johnson and it turns out he was also talking to this guy named maserati or ferrari or whatever you want to call him, does that change how you see him? >> of course. every little piece of this, chris, just builds a case that the guy is a ticking time bomb and bad news for the nba. it's just one big package of get us away from him. >> one big package of get us away from him. well said. thank you very much. kate? >> i'll take it here, chris. thanks.

no problem. let's look at more of your headlines. hope is fading for survivors from this week's mine explosion in turkey. nearly 300 people are already confirmed dead. another 100 more are still trapped deep inside that mine. if any are still alive the rescuers will be dealing with wretched conditions. devastated families are venting their anger at government officials since the mine passed safety inspections. happening today, va secretary eric shinseki will testify in prepared testimony first reported by cnn shinseki will say he's angered and saddened by deaths of dozens of veterans waiting for care. but shinseki won't say much else. he's been advised not to comment. white house deputy chief of staff rob neighbors has been assigned to help the va review. breaking overnight. murder charges now for the captain and three officers from the south korean ferry that

capsized and sank killing nearly 300 people, many of them high school students. prosecutors have said the crew failed to help rescue those on board and even fled the ship themselves before passengers. if convicted the captain and officers could face the death penalty. >> still unbelievable that it continues to unfold. we've been watching it. >> also interesting that right now it seems the assumption is these people ran the ship but where was the supervision of it by the state involved? where is that level of accountability? we're waiting on that. obviously watching closely the wildfires in southern california but let's get back over to indra petersons for a check of the national forecast as well. >> another big story today is going to be the flooding. look at where the flood advisories are stretching from new york down through florida. very easy to see where that cold front is. you can see how slow the system is. this is the same system we've been watch for days here. look at where this cold front is. and now let's talk about how much moisture is available to

the slow-moving system. right there in that same alley. all of this available moisture. that's the reason we have this threat for flooding. lots of rain out there expected. especially in the mid atlantic. three to five i imagines of rain over the next several days. eventually spreading into the northeast. see another several inches as we get closer toward the weekend. it's not the only thing. we still have a threat for severe weather out there. where are we looking today from roa roanoke down through charleston. a lot of rain in a short period of time. we're still talking about the system even as we get closer towards the weekend. not only until saturday do we see this frontal system make its way offshore but talking about rain here for the second half of your week. after that, cooler temperatures spilling and i know it was warm. start to see milder temperatures right behind that cold front. big changes. a lot of flooding into the future. >> indra, thanks so much. let's take a break. coming up next on "new day," fighting back. former president bill clinton coming to his wife's defense after karl rove raised questions about hillary clinton's health. so what did president clinton

have to say about all of it? you'll hear it. and it is not september 11th, obviously, but it is a big day to remember the attacks as the 9/11 museum opens its doors. we're going to show you what it holds and who will be the first to be allowed to enter an area that is only for them. this is a head-to-head challenge. we wanna find out which vehicle you prefer. the escape can go! ford escape takes off really fast compared to the cr-v. i tried the rav4... i liked it. i tried the escape... blew my mind. wow... that's really cool.

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welcome back to "new day." karl rove may have thrown the first punch but the clintons don't seem to be afraid to swing back. wednesday both clintons held public events and while hillary stayed quiet on the topic of her health, the former president had more to say. take a listen. >> first of all i got to give him credit, you know, he did that embodies that old saying that consistency is the hobb gobbling of little minds. first they said she faked her concussion and now they say she's auditions for a part on "the walking dead," now they say she's really got brain damage. if she does, then i must be in really tough shape because she's still quicker than i am. >> for more let's bring in

richard, former senior adviser to bill clinton and democratic strategist and president of capital strategies pr. good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> this, of course, to reverse and to go forward, this stems from karl rove in this off the record gathering saying that he -- saying that hillary clinton suffered a traumatic brain injury and then it's kind of in her health is a big question and should be a big question is what he said. now you have bill clinton coming out to his wife's defense before she comes out. are you surprised he did? >> no. i think he says whatever he wants whenever he wants to and i think -- >> is it dangerous though? >> i mean, i think -- i don't think it's dangerous because i think he's a great communicator and he always speaks the truth and right on point. >> i think people admire him and respect him. >> there are nashing of teeth going on right beside you. >> yes, i don't know if bill clinton always tell tsz truth

but there are a couple of things wrong with this. he said that his wife took six months to recover from the fall and concussion. that raises serious issues. i think it's a mistake to make it be a partisan thing saying republicans are saying "x", whatever. any serious presidential candidate's health is going to be looked at as well as everything in their life and career. another interesting thing is that bill clinton is out there talking about it. she cannot -- hillary clinton cannot hide behind her husband on this. i think it was an interesting decision if it was one to have him come out and say anything perhaps they should -- clinton camp should make a decision that bill clinton's role should be that as a former president who is related to the candidate much like the senior george h.w. bush was to george w. bush and that's probably the role for him. i think his response was a little sloppy. he's a little out of practice. and they better clarify his role. >> how can it backfire, sherry, do you think for the clintons if he's out there speaking? >> he's off the cuff. he's claiming things about her

health that we don't know. this is going to come up with a democratic primary, by the way, just as joe biden had two brain aneurysms, one time given last rights. this is serious business. to try and claim this is an attack by republicans or this is -- she's a hot house we can't talk about this about hillary clinton and that. we're going to talk about her record or lack of record. we're going to talk about when she's trying to hide behind either the obama administration or her husband. she has to be responsible. >> the criticism is then do that. this did come off like a cheap shot. that's why the other republicans went an rove for it. >> but he's not run for president, she is. >> i know. but going after the -- she may have a brain injury was too far and that's why he got slapped back. it was a smart move because he got us talking a it. >> it's already out there in the conversation. >> but then you get to a second point that i'll give you more credit on which is, is bill clinton, whom you use, to say this is what the truth is about something. no disrespect to the president, but especially talking about benghazi and he says here's the

truth. given his past with the truth. >> let's listen to this sound bite. we've got that sound bite of bill clinton talking about what happened in benghazi. >> i looked into what was wrong. they gave 29 recommendations. she took them and started implementing them. and they established the fact that, whether it was right or wrong in the past, secretaries of state never were involved directly in these security decisions. >> is it open you up to people saying this is the guy says what is is and this and that and now he's telling us what's true? >> here's the point. he's a former president. he's hillary's husband but also a former president of the united states. he was asked a question. so, you know, he's got to respond. i don't think he's giving the official response. i think he responded in a fairly muted fashion. he said there are recommendations. they were followed. i think he, is you know, entitled to speak on foreign policy issues.

former leader of the free world. but, you know, her record obviously will be fully considered. i mean, i don't think, you know, she was secretary of state for a long time. the world is a complicated place. i think people understand that. we we don't blame everything that goes on in the world on the person who is the secretary of state just like we don't blame 9/11 on president george w. bush. we don't blame everything that happens in the world on the person who is the secretary of state at the time. so, you know, there's a lot here. i think mr. rove was very -- has used a very effective -- >> respond to the point. >> on the benghazi issue, former president bill clinton probably really stepped over the line on this one. i imagine they're all trying to pull him back on that. the question about hillary clinton and secretary of state and benghazi has more to do with what happened before and not the recommendations after like bill clinton was talking about. decisions in terms of denying the help requested by the now late ambassador stevens.

so this and other questions are key. and i think they need to really pull bill clinton back. he's not as good at this now as he used to be. he is not up on the facts. >> taking her advice, but -- >> if he is speak for his wife and on behalf of the obama administration, then, you know, that should be a decision. this sounded like it was an accident. >> speaking for his wife on behalf of the obama administration, i think that's what's happening is that a lot of things are being, you know, mushed together, conflated. the truth is, is that she is not a declared candidate for president. her husband, the former ht, was on a panel. he was asked a question. i think he gave a fairly straightforward simple answer defending his wife who has just been attacked by the republican party because they have nothing else to talk about. >> there is -- we'll leave it there but it is interesting there is speculation we have this discussion, part of our discussion yesterday about how they had been above the political fray but does this

show that they are no longer above the political fray, the fact that bill clinton is coming out to take on karl rove, defend his wife's record on benghazi -- what happened in benghazi and his wife's record at the state department, does this show an entering into the new phase of the potential possible, maybe, maybe not, candidacy? >> i'll say yes so the vp doesn't yell at us. >> thank you. >> it may not be about all poll ticks but this feels like political season. i got amped up during this conversation. >> there's no more break. >> you guys are doing the right jobs. it's happening it just started. everybody, the election just started. this is the official start. >> thanks, guys. good to see you. coming up on "new day," 9/11, you know, there are things you heard about but never seen until now as the museum finally opens its doors. we're going to take you there and preview all that unfolds today. and former secretary of state condoleezza rice weighing in on donald sterling, sending more troops overseas? as message to vladimir putin and

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welcome back to "new day." we're going to look at your headlines now. nearly 100 degree temperatures are expecting today pushing firefighters in southern california to their limbs as they fight a series of wildfires in the state. thousands of homes, a university campus, a nuclear plant, a lego theme park. even parts of camp pendleton has been evacuated. the fire chief says nine wildfires have so far charred

9,200 acres. it is being called serious and urgent. the spread of middle east respiratory syndrome, mers, the world health organization expressing its concern but insisting the illness does not yet constitute a global health emergency. there are now two confirmed cases in 18 countries, including two here in the united states. one is indiana, the other in florida. 171 people have died because of mers worldwide. now located, radio icon kay si kasem just hours after the daughters found a missing persons report. he was found in washington state where he was reportedly on vacation with his wife. kasem suffers from a form of dementia that has left him barely able to speak. his daughters had accused their stepmother of kidnapping him. a mystery solved but, again, not really because they haven't been able to get him back home. it's a whole mess. >> unbelievable. >> no family is immune from ugliness. >> no. >> you know? >> the one wes love most you

must the most. anyway, this is a big day today. after 13 years of construction, challenges of every kind, especially political setbacks and endless red tape, the 9/11 museum will open today for the families of the victims. the museum is loaded with artifacts and photos and other memorabilia that tell the story of that day in a way it has never been told. president obama will be there to dedicate it this morning in a ceremony that we'll bring you when it happens. swe have debra feyerick live this morning outside the museum for us. deb, big day to be down there. >> yeah. and as you said, chris, this has been a long time coming. the president is expected here in the next couple of hours. but you know, there was so much controversy where it should be built, how it should be built, do you charge, do you let people in for free. p the one thing that there's no dispute a all is the labor of love for the thousands of people involved in building this museum, from the construction workers who dug out that hole to the people who planned it, who

conceded this idea. you walk through that museum. it is a living testimony to those who died on that day. their souls are so present you can feel it as you're walking through the museum. it is powerful, emotional, and a stamp of that day, what happened. you can see there the fire truck where debris fell. that was the devastation. frankly, you look at that. that is a symbol of how raw we all felt. something that was whole one minute and then shattered the next. there are letters of papers that were taken that floated off that building. i mean, it is really a museum, chris. the only way i can describe it and i know kate was down there, it breaths. it completely breathes. it is a magnificent testament to what happened. there's the wall that held back the water. there was the greatest fear that that wall broke, in fact, all of lower manhattan would indeed be flooded. there is a steel from that point of impact where flight 11 pierced into the north tower. i don't know if you can hear it

behind me, a low roar. those are the wading pools, the reflecting pools built. those opened a year ago. you look down into that. this is an extraordinary, extraordinary place. the museum is that building just behind it. and i have to tell you, it is something that simply took my breath away. it brought me back to that day but it also made me realize just how powerful the human spirit is and everything that happened after that as much of a presence in that building, chris. >> deb, thank you very much. i think you said it very well, kate, that it's unusual, this museum, is that there is no white washing. you will really see what it was like that day from the way they were able to preserve it. so we hope you watch this ceremony and if you get a chance, you go to visit it. i'll be there later this morning as we cover it. >> you're going to lead some of our coverage. great to have you down there, of course. got to talk sports. let's talk some playoff basketball, if we can. late rally against the nets but the miami heat are heading back to the eastern conference final,

everybody. >> that was good. >> brian mcfayden has more in this morning's bleacher report. >> that was -- that was really, really good. >> did you see brian's eyes when i turned. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> brooklyn gave miami all they could handle last night and looked like they would keep the series going until the end. nope. about 30 seconds left. ray allen wide open for three. you just don't leave him open from out there. allen nails it giving the heat the lead. last chance for the nets. lebron strips the ball away from joe johnson and the heat are going to their sixth eastern conference finals in the last ten years. the spurs completely routed the trail blazers last night. it got so bad for the blazers, spurs, leonard went all double pumped slams. spurs win. advance to the western conference finals. they will play the winner of the thunder/clipper series. trending, does this make you a bad person if you laugh this this video? a dodger fan going for a foul

ball while holding his daughter and without thinking decides the daughter is more important than his kid and pushes her to the side and falls back to her seat. she gave her dad the business. by the way, pops, he didn't get the ball. so that was it. back to you guys. >> i'm giggling because i can imagine if chris had done this, what kind of grief i would be giving you. >> if that ever happened to me that would be the last time you saw me. it wouldn't be by my choice. >> i like the little girl, she's like, you're a jerk, dad. >> she's right. >> she is right, dad. thanks, brian. >> that is terrible. >> yeah. it would have been decently okay if he had caught the ball. >> well -- exactly. >> if he gave it to her right away. coming up next on "new day," condoleezza rice opening up in a new interview. global affairs, and even sports all on the table and some of what she says will surprise you. our exclusive preview is after the break.

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secretary of state, speaking out about who she would support in 2016. her take on donald sterling's racist remarks, and also how involved she thinks the united states should be in the crisis in ukraine. carlos watson is the co-founder of ozzy, a digital newsmagazine. he's here to premier his interview in a broadcast exclusive. great to see you. how are you? >> really good. >> this interview happened this week. >> this week. we sat down in california, stanford university where she's now teaching. and she was very open, very relaxed. >> she was relaxed. >> she was very relaxed. you said out of politics, i said she's been stumping for candidates like mitch mcconnell and lindsey graham so you're never fully out of politics when you do that. she has a book coming out. >> when you have the itch you never get out of it. you hit a range of topics. first off, on ukraine, specifically on vladimir putin and what his motives are. she had said at one point in the interview she had said that if

you go any further, you're going to meet real resistance. you pushed her on what that resistance could be. here, listen to this. >> he does not want to take on the united states of america. he wants to push as far as he can without real resistance. but he's not going to fire on a country in which american forces are stationed. >> you really believe that? >> of that one, i am pretty certain. >> and so how many troops would make sense here? what would be a real deterrent? >> upper gate or so. upper gate or so. tens of thousands. >> kate, that's a lot of -- that's a big statement. >> that's a lot more than the 600 they've got over there now. >> big statement, lots of confidence coming from a soviet specialist. what was interesting is she talked about putin personally. she said he feels the soviet union was unfairly disbanded, has an itch to put it bag together, harbors a grudge and she thought that sheer force

would make a difference. >> she's not flying blind here, though, right? because, was there any discussion about the context of what happened in 2006 or '8 and georgia because that was the bush administration. they tried to do what's being tried right now with very bad results. you know, any type of -- it was violent, how they overtook it. we did nothing. >> well, that's why i think she's now argue for troops and not just a few troops but tens of thousands of troops. i'm not as convinced, and she clearly as secretary of state would know more, i didn't ask her whether or not the war wariness of the american people would be a factor as well and i think that would be a conversation whether or not we would want to send more troops to a very difficult place. >> tens of thousands definitely raised my eyebrows for sure. >> again, that has been her specialty for years. where else she weighed in was benghazi and we know that there's been a senate report on benghazi but she argued the

house, should continue to pursue it. you haven't heard mod rate republicans like her say the house should continue to pursue it. that there are real questions. >> especially coming from a former secretary of state herself. >> who has been on the other side of that and hasn't always wanted to be called. when the 9/11 commission called i went and she thought others and she didn't say hillary clinton by name but that others should be available. >> weapons of mass destruction and yellow cake was never looked into the way benghazi is. >> you know, she didn't touch that at all. >> of course she didn't. >> not surprisingly. >> of course she didn't. she wasn't afraid of hot topics, even our friend donald sterling who you guys were talking about earlier. >> i wanted to ask you about that because we know that ms. rice is a gigantic sports fan and she was one of the names considered for nfl commissioner. i can't imagine that she didn't have an opinion about the donald sterling. can we play some of the sound from that? >> please, yes. >> when you are someone for whom

african-americans work and then you say something like that, how do you really expect them to feel working for you? and i think it's a disgrace for the league and i'm glad the commissioner did what he did. >> she fully supports adam silver's really decisive idea of, look, we've got to get him out of there and strip him of this team. >> she's been heavily involved in sports. you mentioned football but she says her favorite player of all time was a basketball player, dr. j. >> a member of augusta, right? >> augusta, involved in golf. i noted to her that several of the players who recently have been in the news from richard sherman to jonathan martin to jason collins were all stanford players with whom she had a connection to her and she was clear it needs to be strong, swift, unequivocal action. this comes from a person who feels strongly about executive power. as you said, has been thought

about for the nfl commissioner's role. the other question i asked her, i said, well, look, there might be a team for sale. you now are invested in silicon valley. >> what did she say? >> oprah is talking about it. fl floyd mayweather is talking about it. she smiled and said oprah has done a little bit better with her investments than i have. which is true of all of us, most of us. >> carlos, you cover a lot of topics. you are hitting on a lot of other stuff. gop politics, you asked her about rutgers and the commencement speech. thanks for sharing a little bit about it. >> fwrgreat to see you. coming up on "new day," the one and only were bra walters. she's made even the most hardened guests weep, now as she prepares to stip step back, we'll hear about the tribute that almost had her in tears. we turned the tables or the chairs on the legend and sit down for a really cool interview. straight ahead.

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boss about it. overall in the united states, gals, we're still making less money than the fellas. chief business correspondent christine romans is here with me in our money center modified. what exactly happened here? >> she's out. she's out as executive editor of "the new york times" and business and media world are buzzing about this story this morning. and the new yorker is saying there was a pay disparity that was part of the problem that led to this confrontation to her and her bosses. she is out. whatever happened with her pay highlights this conversation that women in all different kinds of parts of the economy are talking about. they make on average 82 cents to a man's dollar and that's something that women are confronting every day at the office. >> for ladies at home, we're not all julian. >> no. >> what can we do if we find out we're in a situation where our male counterpart is making that much more? >> studies have shown that women don't negotiate on the front end. from the very first job they say i'm going to pay you $24,000 a year and you say thank you very

much. if you negotiate $5,000 more, it's up to $600,000 over the course of a 40-year career. a lot of people who studied this told me a man out of college is much more likely to say, oh, $24,000? i'll take $29,000. okay, you're hired. women need to start to think that way, too. you need to ask for a raise. there's this great antidote of the woman who is confronted by her boss and he said you need to ask for a raise and she said, why, how do we trust you to negotiate on behalf of the company if you don't negotiate for yourself. women are less likely to ask for a raise. ask for one every year. >> great advice, take it to heart, ladies. chris? >> thank you very much. it is easy to over state people's accomplishments when they retire. often we should do that. but not this time. this time we're going to be deadly accurate. you know why? because the truth is no one comes close to barbara walters. a five-decade career just loaded with firsts. here are just a few. first woman to co-host a morning

show and went on to be number one in the morning for ten years. first woman to co-host the evening news, to make a million bucks in the business, to have huge specials, to own the brand "2020" and to create a show like "the view." and right until the end, she has big exclusives she takes from people like me, the two women at the center of donald sterling's warped world. there is no question, barbara walters and still a cut above the rest. take a look at the interview we had. >> i'm very happy to see you. >> i'm very happy to see you. >> i miss you. i'm happy to have you interview me. >> my first question is this. too soon, are you afraid you're doing this too soon? >> i knew it was time. i like all the celebration, that's great. but in my heart, i thought i want to walk away while i'm still doing good work. so i will. >> but the work in that way is too good. you just beat me out for the shelly sterling interview. >> you noticed, right?

>> i couldn't get a phone call in there because they only wanted to talk to you. you're still getting the big interviews. you're still all leaving us in the dust. why leave now? just to make it easier for us? >> you have to leave sometime, don't you? i don't want to be, oh, she's still here? you know. we can't get rid of her. i want to leave when people like you are saying, why are you going? i will miss the people and i will miss the challenges. but i just know it's the time to go. >> here's a word i know you don't like. >> oh. >> legacy. you don't like the word legacy. >> i don't like to talk about my legacy in terms of my work. i mean, i know that i've done some important interviews. i know that i have been a part of history at least viewing history. but my legs gas si, i think, is paving the way a little bit for women who did not have the opportunity when i was beginning. and i see so many wonderful women now on television and

that's my legacy. maybe i helped pave the way for them. >> you started off outsider. they didn't want you in the business. you went from an outsider to now your name is on the outside of the main abc news area. >> isn't that amazing. bob iger, ceo of disney, pulled the velvet cloth and there was this plaque with my name. what a wonderful honor. i mean, i'm going to visit it every single day. >> when you look at what you achieved, do you list this was most important to me? >> no, no. i'm proud of "the view" because i created it and it will be on when i'm no longer there. and i think that a lot of shows have sort of copied the atmosphere and the idea of "the view" but when i look back at my career, the opportunities that i've had to be -- to be able to, as i said, witness the peace

agreements between egypt and israel, to interview all of the presidents, to interview vladimir putin, i mean, i'm pretty impressed with myself. >> you should be. >> yeah. no, not really. i just think i've had the most blessed career and i never expected it. i hope i have the sense to realize how good my life is and not just think of how good my life was. >> that is very well said. when i was trying to figure out how to go through what you've done, it's too hard. it's just too hard with all that you have achieved, all you've meant to the business and to society in general because a lot of it was historic. let's do it as almost like a checklist. when i say words you tell me a name that jumps to your head. funniest. >> robin williams. >> smartest, present company excluded. >> i have to name you. i have to name you. i've interviewed many smart people. a lot of dumb ones. >> sexiest. >> i love hugh jackman. >> what about eastwood? >> i forgot clint eastwood.

how soon we forget. yeah, if i had only played my cards right i could have been mrs. clint eastwood. too late. >> how about scariest? >> i know i should say vladimir putin because people are afraid of him and i did ask him if he ever killed anybody. no, i won't say him. s yasser arafat maybe, saddam hussein. but you know when you're working you're not scared. it's when you look back and think about it you are. when i've actually been doing the interviews i'm never frightened. >> personally most important? >> what plaflashes in my mind an is sedot because he changed history and i knew him quite well. there's a special place in my mind for anwar. >> the one that got away? >> i've always wanted to interview the queen of england. she doesn't do interviews.

i would love interview the pope. you know, it's the ones that everybody is talking about, the hard to get. the ones that are the get. >> let's leave with this. give me some advice. when i got the opportunity and i spoke to you about it first, to become the anchor of "20/20" was the high point of my career at that time because what it meant about trying to carry the mantel. >> and you did. >> what is the advice to the rest of white house are still in the grind? >> oh, get your foot in the door, be the first one there in the morning, be the last one there at night, and do your homework. do your homework. i'm very proud of you. you've done okay. it's all my -- et ceteit's all fault. >> i learned from the best. >> thank you. >> i don't care what they say, i know there's going to be a big get in the future. i'm going to be this close to get it. >> and i'm going to get it. >> and you're going to take it and i'm going to watch it. thank you, barbara. >> thank you, dear. appreciate it. >> you are in love with her,

even in that conversation. >> she's very different from who you get to see in tv. >> she softens you. you soften right up. >> it's really just more fear and respect. >> i was going to wait for scariest, i thought you were going to win the scariest category. >> only barbara walters can say vladimir putin, i did ask him if he had ever killed anyone. >> it's interesting. right after that conversation with christine romans about disparity and equal pay for women we go to the conversation about this woman who opened the door, kate, for you and i. >> first anchor to make a million. >> and so many young women now don't necessarily realize how hard it was for her. >> in a business where now stars are made, she made herself with resistance every step of the way. she will tell you right up until today. >> and her advice applies to every industry and that's the key to her success to the final interview still which you make good point, probably isn't her final interview that she's done. first in the door in the morning, last out the door at night. that's how you succeed. >> that's what really stings. you want to say because she's barbara walters, she beats you

because she outworks you. anyway, we're covering a lot of news for you this morning. so we want to get you the best start for your "new day." . let's start right now. >> we've had nine confirmed fires. >> this extreme. this has gone from dry conditions to horrible conditions. >> lifeless bodies are being brought out one by one. >> this woman screams, let this mine take my life, too. >> what am i, a frankenstein, an ogre? one day they all love you and the next day they hate you? ♪ the community must act. this is a crime against humanity. welcome to "new day." it is thursday, may 15th. 7:00 now in the east. and breaking overnight, fire crews in southern california are stretched to their limits and hoping for calmer conditions this morning as they battle nine different wildfires that have scorched more than,000 acres. but here's the bad news.

sweltering near 100-degree temperatures may make it tough to get the upper hand today. overnight, hundreds of new mandatory evacuations were ordered in san marcos, firefighters are trying to save hillside homes from the stubborn and fast-moving lines of burn. that's where our akiko is now. >> chris, you see the scene behind me. this is what a lot of residents here in san diego county are waking up to this morning. the two homes back here among more than a dozen structures destroyed by these flames. just take a look at the damage here. you can see the structure. a total loss. it's still smoldering. more than 20,000 residents told to evacuate here in the city of carlsbad alone. but the big concern right now as you mentioned is to the east of us. and the city of san marcos, an additional 600 homes were forced to evacuate overnight. this is an area that has seen its share of wildfires. officials say they have never seen so many pop-up so quickly,

so early in the fire season. conditions are so bad. one official here says he hasn't seen anything like this in 20 years. now, fire crews have been working around the clock trying to gain the upper hand. they are gaining the upper hand at least here in the city of carlsbad. the fire, 50% contained here. and they will be back at it again today. firefighters fighting this blaze with an army of firefighters on the ground. more than 20 aircraft, including a dc10 plane mounted with tanks that can hold up to 50 tons of water. they are not expected to get cooperation from the weather today because temperatures are expected to soar near 100 degrees yet again. schools throughout san diego county have been closed for the day. while crews out here have been trying to gain the upper hand on the blaze there's been a lot of speculation about how all of these flames started. seven fires in one day. one official out here says, i'm sure this could be chance but

there is just too much coincidence here. kate? >> akiko, great question. first, though, get a handle on those flames. let's continue, find out more on this fire. let's bring in ken, the director of california's department of forestry and fire protection. thank you for joining us this morning. >> you're welcome. good morning. >> just an update from the ground from our reporter, nine confirmed fires. really amazing. she said she spoke with one official who said they haven't seen anything like this in 20 years. so bad, so early. from your perspective, because you've got the landscape of things, is this bett getting better or getting worse this morning. >> i couldn't say it's getting worse this morning. firefighters are working all night making progress on a number of the nine fires but the fire you're looking at there is probably our most actively burning fire as well as the fire on the camp pendleton, the

tomahawk fire. >> how bad is this? it is very early for it to be peaking like? >> i think the common theme statewide this year is unprecedented number of fires and fire activity across the state. in many cases, two to three months earlier than normal. >> that does make you wonder if it's this bad this early, what do you think this means for the traditional kind of peak of fires of wildfire season that is supposed to be happening in the fall? >> it certainly means that by the time we get to july and august, vegetation will continue to be critically dry. we'll have the long warm, hot days. the potential for large and damaging fires will be at their peak. and again, we had not seen conditions like this statewide since anyone can really remember. certainly in my 30 years in the fire service, to see this level of fire activity this early and the dry conditions statewide.

it's really unprecedented. >> our correspondent on the ground raised an important question. sure seems like seven fires started in one day. that seems like a lot of coincidence. any suggestion so far of how all of these fires started? >> well, any time we have wind events like we've seen here in the last several days, there are numerous potential for downed power lines, you know, 95% of fires are started by people and that can be, you know, pulling a car off into dry brush. kit be anything. we're going to be actively investigating all of these fires to determine what the causes are. but understand yesterday alone we had over 30 fires around the state. many of which we put out at that initial attack phase. so we're getting a lot of fires. most of which are being put out. >> which just shows what those firefighters that are on the front lines, what they are up against and they will be again this morning. ken, thanks so much for the time. good luck in controlling those blazes. chris? >> thank you. kate, hate to say it but

hope is fading in the search for survive irs after a deadly fine explosion in turkey. more than 300 are confirmed dead and about 100 are still trapped under ground in deadly conditions. as word above ground that this mine was seen as a safety risk spreads, so does the anger. families want answers from turkey's government and they deserve them. we are live with the latest from soma, turkey. diana? >> hi, chris. well, that's right. this counts now as turkey's worst industrial accident. the death toll now at 282, expected to rise this much more now, a recovery effort than a rescue effort. i'll duck out of the way. the president of this country is visiting right now, talking to the rescue workers down there. if we pan over a bit to the left you can see one of the entrances to the mine shaft where there is still smoke billowing out from the fire that is raging below. and you've got to hope that the president says rather more sensitive things than his prime

minister did yesterday. prime minister coming here and saying that really accidents like this are par for the course in the mining industry. that's very shocking photograph that we can show you now, chris, which seems to show a member -- it does, show, in fact, a member of his entourage, the prime minister's entourage kicking a protester in the town of soma, a protester who had come out to complain, to show his anger at the safety record here and at the fact that this accident could have happened. that really provides you can some kind of an indication of how the prime minister and his political behavior has polarized this nation. one year since anti-government protests began in istanbul and even today protesters came out on the streets to show their anger about this terrible tragedy and police responding with water cannons, very, very heavy-handed approach and it cannot but have political fallout even in the midst of

this national tragedy. >> diana, thank you very much. appreciate the reporting from there. we'll stay on top of it, to be sure. a lot of other news this morning as well. >> chris, thank you so much. here's a look at your headlines. ukraine peace talks held without participation from separatists are expected to resume over the next few days. wednesday's 2 1/2 hour session ended without any solutions. meanwhile, the first ballots for ukraine's may 25th election are being printed. but even if they're sent east the big unknown is whether people there could actually use them to vote. breaking overnight. the captain of the south korean ferry and three of his officers are now facing murder charges weeks after that ferry collapsed and sank leaving nearly 300 people dead. prosecutors stay crew fled the ship without helping passengers get to safety. many of those passengers were high school students. if convicted the captain and officers could face the death penalty. big win for jason patric that could affect the rights of infit tro fathers. they ruled that patrick has the

right to see his son because he had a long-term relationship with the boy's mother. patrick's ex-girlfriend used his sperm to get pregnant but then cut off contact between patrick and the child but the judge ruled the law is intended to only stop donors with no connection to the mothers. victory for jason there. you brought it to us. >> we're going have jason coming on the show later this morning. it's a big moment for him, personally, of course, but also legal legally. just remind everybody -- >> not just about him. >> as a kid involved and how ugly the situations can get and how the law can work against you. terrible story. coming up next on "new day," donald sterling looking for redemption with the nba, saying he will not walk away. in fact, he says he should get a second chance. more of cnn's exclusive interview with the disgraced clippers owner. coming up, bill clinton standing up for his wife after karl rove started rumors about hillary's health. but is what the president doing helpful? we're going to show you what he had to say.

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what is this place? where are we? this is where we bring together reliably fast internet and the best in entertainment. we call it the x1 entertainment operating system. it looks like the future! we must have encountered a temporal vortex. further analytics are necessary. beam us up. ♪ that's my phone. hey. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system. only from xfinity. tv and internet together like never before. donald sterling, no, you have not heard it all yet. he actually added a new layer to the scanned. the disgraced clippers owner acknowledges the nba won't stand for racism but insists that isn't him. sterling says he's a giver, not a hater. he's hoping his fellow owners and anyone offended will forgive

him and give him a second chance. sterling sounds off on the subject of racism in general. take a listen. >> do you think that is a problem in america, racism, and do you think it's -- >> i don't think so. i don't think it's any -- i think it's better than any other place in the world. >> you don't see it as a big problem here? >> i don't see it. i'm not, you know, an african-american. you know, take jewdism. i don't think the jews have any problem. there are a couple of people they killed that are jews coming out of synagogue, remember. >> of course. >> but in general, i think in america handles everything well. do you think there's a lot of prejudice here? >> i think there's -- there's -- yeah i think there's prejudice every where but i do think there's different forms. there's institutional forms of prejudice and there's stuff that -- biases that people have

in their hearts. >> i don't know. in the legal profession, the guy comes in, you know, and he's a lawyer, i respect him. if he's done it and worked hard, and i wouldn't think he was any different than a white lawyer. i don't think -- i think america has worked well with that. maybe not as well as the african-americans would like, but, you know, i'm a jew. i watch what's going on with us, too. i think it's better than it's ever been. i like to help minorities. that's why i contribute $7 million to the children's hospital for minorities. i've only paid a million down but i owe the balance. and united -- you know, the united college, united negro college fund, i've been

supporting them for 15 years. the ncaap, i've been supporting them. i support minorities. i'm so lucky. i mean, i'm so lucky. and so i want to give. that is what my life is all about. >> it's not the first time you've been accuse of that elgin baylor accused you of that same thing in a lawsuit in 2009. >> but elgin baylor sued the league, the nba. he said they created that, too. and then elgin baylor when he lost against the nba, then he sued me. let's get it straight. >> but he did sue you saying that -- >> after he sued the league and lost and then he sued me and lost. i never said that. >> he said that you wanted all black player s and a southern white coach. >> baylor said that i never said anything racial to him. >> that's correct. >> okay. >> you he did say that. >> i loved the man. i respected the man. he worked for me for 23 years. why didn't he say something in 23 years if he wasn't happy? >> you've got to give it to

sterling. he did it a. good job of beating back anderson on the elgin baylor suit. let's bring in greg anthony, turner sports analyst and cnn political commentator and ms. sunny hostins, former attorney. you seem unsympathetic to him because? >> i think he truly believes that he isn't racist. he's outity yea it80 years old. i think that he has lived in this sort of bubble of privilege. he's perhaps stuck in a time warp. and i think that he hasn't moved with the -- with society's pendulum as to what is acceptable now. and so i do have a sense of -- i sort of feel sorry for him. he just seems so out of touch to me. >> he does touch on something that is worthy of discussion, i think, here. greg anthony, the idea of someone who believes, because of what they do, that that means that's who they are. so if i give a lot of money to

an inner city youth program it doesn't matter what i say about blacks. that's not unique to donald sterling, is it? >> no, it's not. what's unfortunate in all of this for me is simply that we're somewhat losing perspective on what's the real issue here. it doesn't mean that donald sterling hasn't been a giving person or hasn't done some things that he or his family can be proud of. what it means is that the conduct that we were all witness to in the audio tape is considered reprehensible and unacceptable and intolerable in today's society, in america today. and the fact that after that, in mismind, he still doesn't really believe that he's done anything wrong. and that's what's unfortunate and it's also not representative of what our league is all about, what we are working extremely hard to try to project, not just

in america but to the rest of the world. we have an international league. we have a global game. we have players from all different ethnicities and from around the world. and we're about inclusion. and those comments are anything but. so you can walk it back. it's no different than someone accuse of a heinous crime. oftentimes they're going to say they're not guilty and -- >> and they say they're good people. >> we have it on audio tape. and the comments they made, those were deep. those were thoughts that -- and beliefs that he has shown he's had his entire life. that was to me what was so profound in what he said. >> i hear you on that. >> it wasn't an off the cuff comment he made. >> there's now an additional layer worth discussion in terms of how we judge his character. sunny, maserati, not just 15 cars he may have in a garage somewhere but a person comes forward and said i'm i. taped the conversation with sterling and then i released it. sterling said the only person i talked to was magic johnson,

almost suggest that magic would have been the one to leak it. if this is true and sterling must know that it's true that he spoke to this man, maserati, or whatever his name is, what does that mean about what he was trying to do to magic johnson? >> i don't know b that he knows that it's true. i also think there's moammar gadhafi something going on there. he doesn't seem as clear headed. he does seem to have a strange vendetta against magic johnson. is it coming from jealousy as he claims it is. is it his real perspective that he thinks magic johnson is not a real person? magic johnson is not on an irksz c icon in the african-american community but in the world for his sportsmanship and good character. i'm not sure where this animosity comes between -- from donald sterling/magic johnson. it's another part of this really weird puzzle. it doesn't make any sense. >> so now, the quick take on what happens next, i think she'llry sterling is confusing the media more than she's going to confuse the league or any court of law in terms of whether

she has ownership but i want -- >> i disagree with you. >> you guy have different takes on this. maybe, maybe not. sunny? >> i think she's on pretty firm legal t footing. i've read the nba constitution now. i think there are some missing legal documents. we don't noknow what the family trust looks like. >> 50% ownership and i think adam silver in his only misstep handling this far made it clear that the comments were only attributable to donald sterling and the punishment was only attributable to donald sterling. i think that leaves a wide open path to shelly sterling say i've done nothing wrong. under the law i'm part ownership here. >> i think it assumes an ownership that doesn't exist for her. my take would be he was the one approved by the league for the franchise, no her. it doesn't matter how he slices his piece of the pie. >> we haven't seen the franchise agreement though. >> but i've been privy to those

documents and that is exactly the case. >> okay. >> she was not approved for ownership. >> greg, you've got insights. >> she was never approved for ownership. that's i think what we're confusing here is, even if you could profve that she has ownership stake in it, that doesn't -- basically she's entitled to the asset if they had to sell it but that doesn't mean that she would be allowed to stay as owner. he was the one approved. this is a franchise much like a country club so it doesn't necessarily work by the same rules we would govern another entity. that's the reality of this case. at the end of the day i don't think there's a scenario where you're going seashee shelly steg as the owner of a franchise. she may get the assets once the team is sold, 50% of that, but that's yet to be determined. i don't think there's any scenario where you're going to see her having ownership in the nba. >> i think we may seashelly

ste -- see shelly sterling take a passive ownership. i think it's going to be difficult, absent legal intervention. >> bet you lunch. >> you got it. >> done. >> done, greg. >> i want in on that lunch, too. i want in on that lunch. >> all right. >> i'll need you if we lose, i've seen sunny eat. kate, over to you. >> all right. coming up next on "new day," the u.s. has already sent in surveillance planes to help in the search of hundreds of missing girls in nigeria but would u.s. special forces do more? that is what john mccain says, is it even an option, is another question. we're going to talk to a top former army general about it. also ahead, standing up for hillary. bill clinton's response after karl rove said that hillary clinton has suffered a traumatic brain injury which needs to be looked into. when sales rep steve hatfield books at laquinta.com, he gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. so he knows exactly when he can prep for his presentation. and when steve is perfectly prepped, ya know what he brings?

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let's look at your headlines now. dry conditions. near 100-degree temperatures. feeling a series of wildfires pushing firefighters to their limits in southern california. thousands of homes, a university campus, a nuclear plant, a lego theme park, even parts of camp pendleton have all been evacuated. the fire chief says nine wildfires have charred. so far 9200 acres. rescuers are trying to find survivors in turkey. kn nearly 300 people are confirmed dead. 100 are trapped and are presumed dead. families are demanding a strong response from the turkish

government who have been under fire for past mine disasters. president obama among those who will be on hand this morning to officially dedicate the 9/11 museum in new york. museum is filled with remnants of the world trade center and objects from the fr some of the nearly 3,000 people who died on that terrible day. it will be open all day for the next week, so families of the victims can visit. you're going to be heading down there. >> i will. kate has been there as well. it is different than museums usually are. this is, as kate said very well, it's a real unvarnished look at what happened that day. so important that people do never forget. >> never forget, exactly, chris. all right. how about we never forget politics as well. we have "inside politics" on "new day" with mr. john king. tasty topics for you today. >> good morning. i want to echo the point. i had a tour of the museum when it was under construction. any american should go visit that remind irof a that solemn day. we'll watch the ceremonies there today.

a lot to cover this morning. with me to share the reporting and insights, jewelry paste, jonathan martin of the "new york times." let's start with a potential tipping point day for the obama administration and veterans affairs secretary. eric shinseki will be on capitol hill today testifying and our chris has received his advance testimony which doesn't say much. the committee wants to know what is happening around va hospitals around the country. two dozen veterans, their deaths have been attributed to being putting on waiting lists. democrats are getting worried like they were on health care. we're not sure the administration is telling us everything. what else is there out there? the republicans are saying now the administration has asked the deputy to oversee what's happening at the veterans affair, don't they trust their people? how big inside the white house do they view this? >> it's becoming bigger and bigger. the decision for the president to send rob neighbors, a person who is really steeped in

management, making things work, is going over to the veterans affairs department. he's going to ever see this investigation and it's the clearest sign that the white house doesn't trust this investigation that the va has been running, needs to put a senior white house person in there, someone who has the ear of the president because these allegations are incredibly troubling and they're becoming very worrisome for the white house and democrats as a management issue. >> worrisome about management, worrisome about competence. jonathan, in an election year. but let's remember also what this is about. this is about the care of people who have served this country, who have gone to war for this country, who have worn the uniform for this country. i talked to a top senate leadership this morning who say they are beginning to get nervous the obama administration is trying to spin this, wait, we'll take care of this. forgive my language. this isn't about covering your ass it's about taking care of guys who went to war so you didn't have to. the temperature rising on capitol hill when you involve veterans. >> both parties, too. and that's sort of the challenge for the obama folks. they can dismiss benghazi and investigation over that, some kind of partisan effort by the

republicans to energize their base in an election year. this feels very different. i think it's going to be a real problem for the obama folks which is why i think you see them moving to install one of their people at the va. is that going to be enough? i'm not sure. >> general shinseki gets grace on the hill because he is is a retired four star and wounded in vietnam, chee chief of staff whom donald rumsfeld moved aside but grace is getting -- they want answers on capitol hill. watch that one today as secretary shinseki now testifies. bill clinton was out yesterday defending his wife and responding to karl rove's suggestion that hillary clinton has traumatic brain issues. bill clinton said he's now made hillary's health a part of the discussion. bill clinton said this is only the beginning. >> i don't know. but if it is you can't be too upset about it. it's just the beginning. they'll get better and better at

it. i mean, you know. it's -- i'm still waiting for him to admit there was nothing to whitewater. you got -- it's just part of the deal. >> i could listen to that voice. i could listen to bill clinton -- i have lived through that decade. but he's trying to make a point, too, right? it's part of the deal. there are pros and cons of that, i think, that it's part of the deal that if the clintons, the republicans are going to hyper ventilate and attack them. also, raises serious issues, not all attacks. do the circus of the clintons hurt the clintons? >> you can unpack that comment in so many different ways which is why we love him. the circus comes along with the clintons. what's interesting is that they recognize it and they are open about it and admitting it publicly. when you look at what he said it's clear they thought about what this would entail if she does run. but interesting and also in 2008 when hillary ran there were a lot of questions about whether the clintons missed the changes

in the media and how fast things moved the way they responded to what karl rove says shows they understand the need to get out in front of a lot of these criticisms. >> the combination of both hillary clinton spokesman and bill clinton yesterday responding to this so forcefully, to me, is the most remarkable and telling indication yet that she's moving towards a campaign in 2016. the voracity with which that spokesman hit back and bill clinton yesterday, i don't want to say reveling but sort of that look of, we've all been here before and seen this before. and recognizing that this is an opportunity for them, unmistableable. >> he loves it. he loves it. a lot of people shy away from the political fights but he thrives on them. >> he loves to be in the fray. and by the way, every two years since -- last 14 years he's been on the campaign trail in is what he does. it's who he is. this is what he knows. >> you mentioned perhaps a telling sign they're getting

closer to saying, yes, she is running. she's not just thinking about it. another guy who made much more clearer yesterday that he's thinking about running is chris christie. remember, he's the governor of new jersey. damaged somewhat of this bridgegate investigation. cloud over he's head and the u.s. attorney look into just what happened when they shut down the traffic lanes of the george washington bridge. chris christie seems to think this will soon be behind him. >> as far as the impact on my political future, i think it will have none because i didn't do anything. now you've had all kinds of people looking at this for nearly 4 1/2 months now and there hasn't been one suggestion that i knew anything about it. >> he's right. there's been no public evidence he knew anything about it, jonathan. does he know something we don't know because we don't know much about the progress, the status of the u.s. attorney's investigation which is the much more important one. does he know that maybe they're wrapping up or is that wishful thinking? >> i think it's him trying to start putting it behind him and hess a former u.s. attorney himself.

i think he understands the depth with which they take their investigation and the length of times that those investigations last and he recognizes the seriousness, too, of what that threat means to him politically. he has to put on that face. that's the challenge for him, that cloud of suspicion that stems from the mere fact of the investigation into him that is apparently not going away. >> i want to change topics because this is important. take me inside the white house's thinking of michael, he is up in a georgia judicial federal judgeship. democrats have turned on him including now the leader harry reid. jay carney at the white house saying, wait a minute, this is a deal we cut with republicans. the president needs to stand by this guy. >> our choice is clear, do we work with republican senators to find a compromise or should we leave the seats vacant? judge michael boggs was recommended to the president by senators isakson and chambliss as part of a compromise to fill

seats in georgia. >> democrat questioned his views on confederate flag, abortion right, civil rights. will the president stand by and demand this vote or pull this? i asked this in the context of this is a federal judgeship. michelle nunn could be the victim of this if african-americans in georgia are mad at the president and don't come out and turn out and vote in high numbers this year she loses. >> they're weighing both sides of this right now. this is really a fascinating insight though into how washington works. you've had the president of the united states having huge issues getting judges through capitol hill. hes goes and decides to try to work with republicans in georgia, make sure the two senators there back this nominee. and now he's having problems with democrats getting the nominee through. so they say you want us to work together, you want us to reach across the aisle and then this is the result. sometimes when you actually do that. >> think maybe they should have done this in an odd year, not election year. could hurt them with the base back home. julie, jonathan, thank you for

coming in this morning. back to new york, i wish i were there today. i had a tour a couple years ago, kate and chris, you're dead right. it's like walking to the vietnam memorial here in d.c., takes your mood down, stop and reflect. i hope everyone gets a chance to wander through. >> it is a massive space. it's vast. they expect it to be a two-hour tour, two-hour experience for the average visitor. take your time. take your time. thanks, john. >> we're not much, you know, lecturing isn't our thing but is this is a lit bit of a point of responsibility, too. we say we will never forget. the ceremony today is important to watch it, i think. i think this is one of those points of reflection that matters. so hopefully if you have time in your day to throw on the tube, any channel, just to keep it objective, you should try to watch it. many people will be covering it. >> it changed the country. coming up next on "new day," could the united states add new tools to the search for hundreds of missing schoolgirls in nigeria? john mccain, the senator of arizona, says the united states

has an obligation to. but what more? what are those additional tools? what more can the united states do? we're going to look into it. we found the man who found the titanic. he's going to join us live. you're going to want to hear what he had to say about the search for flight 370. we have that straight ahead.

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i would utilize every tool that we have to rescue these

young girls. >> senator john mccain advocating a surgical strike by u.s. special forces to free those hundreds of kidnapped girls in nigeria as part of those tools. is that a good idea politically? practically? now after a month with no sign of the girls. here to walk us through it is cnn military analyst general james spider marks, the former commanding general of the center. general, thank you for joining us. there's a little bit of how we have the csi effect in trials now where juries often think this should be an easy solution. a lit bit of that bleeds over into our understanding of special forces that they can just do anything. how difficult a mission would this be? >> this is extremely difficult. and clearly, in this particular case, the grotesque nature of whats has occurred really leads us into the position of doing something. but this is a very precise operation that requires a lot of intelligence preparation, which is taking place right now in the form of the deployment of intelligence assets.

but after you've painted a pretty clear picture you have to make a determination of what you're going to do about it. i would suggest that we're probably going to find that the girls are in multiple locations, maybe even in cameroon, chad, and nigeria. and you have multiple targets. then you're going to have to do something with those. this is not antiseptic. >> and boko haram, you wouldn't be dealing with small groups of people, you would be dealing with big groups of people. when you look at it from the large view, the overview, do you think this is the right call, to send in special forces? >> no, it's not. i think ultimately you're going to have a bad outcome. when you have an operation like, this chris, you're going to put american troops at risk, american reputation at risk, nigeria's reputation at risk. irrespective of what happens nigeria pretty much stands to lose. and then you're going to put these young girls at risk and if we can get in there and we can

kill a bunch of who boko haram, there's nothing wrong with that. but in accomplishing that, girls are going the get killed. if multiple tar gets don't get taken down simultaneously. an outcome is not going to be anything like we would want it to be in american service members are going to be put at risk as well. >> and obviously you're reading in the information that boko haram has in the past killed hostages when there's been a move to free them. it's not speculation there. senator mccain, lastly, not the best example of this proposition but are we seeing here a little of the danger when politicians weigh in on military, you know, military use and what makes sense. is that a little bit of this? again, qualifying senator mccain knows what he's talking about when it comes to the military. >> exactly, chris. any american who understands the costs of engaging with american

firepower and american soldiers, american service members, it's senator john mccain. i mean, truly, we would all acknowledge that he gets it and he gets it in spades. i think what he's doing is probably being a bit provocative here and trying to move this administration to action and some action is taking place, primarily in terms of trying to increase the clarity of the picture that we have on these potential targets. >> you said to me before, general, with your understanding of our intelligence systems, there's plenty of tools that we have that we can use before we go to special forces. general, thank you very much for the perspective this morning. appreciate it. >> thank you, chris. all right. a lot of weather issues going on around the country. not just those terrible fires out west but let's get a look at all of it with our meteorologist indra petersons. >> we are still talking about this huge flet for flooding in the mid atlantic. look. we're talking t a the mid atlantic down in through florida. look at the position of where we have the flood watches out and now take a look at the cold fro front. this is the same frontal system

we've been watching for days. it is so slow moving. look at the position of where the front is. look at all of the available moisture. it lines up in that exact same corridor. this is the concern as more heavy rains are expected to increase through the region. anywhere from three to five inches expected out towards the mid atlantic. eventually spreading into the northeast where we see several more inches of rain in through the region. the other side of this, looking at a severe weather threat. threat for tornado warnings out even this morning. anywhere from virginia down through the carolinas. monitor that closely. of course, the flooding concern will be especially high as we make our way forward over the next several days. coming up next on "new day," the key equipment leading the search for flight 370 that it has been damaged. what does that mean for the search effort at the end -- at the bottom of the indian ocean? we're going to ask someone who knows ocean searches well. he found the "thai titanic."

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we call it the x1 entertainment operating system. it looks like the future! we must have encountered a temporal vortex. further analytics are necessary. beam us up. ♪ that's my phone. hey. [ female announcer ] the x1 entertainment operating system. only from xfinity. tv and internet together like never before. welcome back to "new day." it could be days until the search resumes for flight 370. the bluefin 21 unmanned sub, it's out of the water. it was damaged as the ship carrying it was as well. both are heading back to shore now for replacement parts. why is the bluefin so critical

to the search? because scientists know very little about the ocean floor. our next guest knows more than most of us do. bob ballard is an ocean explorer. this is the guy that discovered the "titanic," among other wrecks. he shared an intimate glimpse of his research trip in caribbean's deadly waters going to air on nat geo wild this sunday. we'll talk about that in a second. quite an adventure you had. can we use your expertise to talk about this? i'm calling it the poor bluefin 2 21. it seems to be having challenge wills, trouble after trouble. it is finicky? >> no, this is normal operating procedure. they have a communication issue which, by the way, had nothing to do with the detection of the pings a month earlier. that was a totally different communications issue. this is very normal. and when you're recovering a vehicle like this and the seas get rough, you can bang against the ship. >> that's what happened here, it sounds like. >> you can do damage and typical electronic communication.

this is standard operating procedure. >> easy to fix? >> easy to fix and will be back in the water. >> but it is a setback. >> it is a setback because time is so precious. >> is it concerning to you that it's the only submersible in the couldn't currently? >> i think they should be having other assets. there are other assets that could be in the game. i would bring more assets into the game. >> let's talk about the pings and the locations. if they're not the -- there's some discrepancy. could these be the pings? could they be from other sources? are these in the right location? what do you make of the pings? >> well, you know, from what i see and from the -- these pings seem to be coming from the black box. so i'm confident that they feel confident that this is the box. the problem is, it's a big box. >> yeah. that is a problem. >> that's the game. with "titanic," it was 150 square miles, bismarck was 200 square miles, yorktown was 500 jair miles. these are big pieces of the ocean that are totally unexplored. they don't have maps. they don't know really what the terrain is like. this is not easy.

>> it's a perfect segue, my friends, to this. this is cool stuff we're going to show you. darn it, i went to the very -- can i rewind this? how do i rewind that? maybe i just press play. i want you to see some of the great stuff bob has been doing. you have this great documentary coming out. and it's really important, the work that you're doing is talking about exactly what you just said. we know more about outer space than we do about the ocean floor. >> we have better maps of mars than even half of our own country. >> what can we know? what can we learn? >> well, we need to have more undersea exploration. 72% of the earth is covered with water. we're not going to escape planet earth. this is where we're going to live the rest of our lives. >> this is where we are. >> and we'd better understand the planet where we're living because it's really angry with us. certainly where we're working here. in the caribbean and this particular dive area was right where the same fault line that hit haiti. so this is an area where the earth can really -- has a bad rap sheet. you can have huge earthquakes that can be generated by it. you can have certainly volcanic

eruptions in the lesser antilles. and what people don't realize is you can also have massive underwater landslides. and the research of puerto rico, potential for massive underwater landslides that can create tsunamis. so this is an area of the world we need to better understand because a lot of people are living in that area. >> okay. so now, not only were you one of the first people to see some of this stuff and to go to these places. >> some pretty cool stuff. >> but you also got to see some pretty interesting creatures. >> tell us about some of the underwater life you encountered. >> we had some big surprises. naturally, the last few days of a six-month deployment, we came across a whole new ecosystem. it was created by landslides which blew us away. >> mind boggling. >> we never thought that a landslide could create a whole new ecosystem. and you'll see in the show, we found these giant mussels that have humanlike blood in them. >> what's next for you? next adventure? >> back to sea. go to nautiluslive.org june 11th

and watch it rear yound live 24 hours a day. >> i can't thank you enough. this has been really interesting. amazing imagery we're seeing. again, caribbean's deadly underworld airs on nat geo wild this sunday at 10:00 p.m. i'm setting my tivo, kate. >> absolutely. everyone should. coming up next, california on fire. thousands of people evacuated. homes destroyed as flames burn through san diego county. we'll have the very latest on the developing situation ahead. afghanistan, in 2009. orbiting the moon in 1971. [ male announcer ] once it's earned, usaa auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation. because it offers a superior level of protection. and because usaa's commitment to serve current and former military members and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. usaa. we know what it means to serve.

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this is extreme. this has gone from dry conditions to volatile conditions. >> happening now, california burning. thousands evacuating as fast-moving wildfires tear through southern california. and look at this. it's a firenado in the middle of it all. firefighters out in force today as temperatures rise. cnn exclusive. donald sterling speaking out again. will he sell the team? as lebron james talks to rachel nichols, does king james stand by his call to boycott if sterling doesn't leave? cat versus dog. amazing video everybody's talking about. a dog attacks a little boy. then the family cat springs to the rescue. we hear from that little boy this morning. your "new day" continues right now. >> announcer: this is "new day" with chris cuomo, kate bolduan and michaela pereira.

>> fire crews stretched very thin as they battle nine different wildfires this morning. drought conditions and near 100-degree temperatures are expected to make it even tougher. overnight hundreds of new mandatory evacuation orders were issued in san marcos as firefighters try and, of course, just look at that video. they're trying to save homes from this fast-moving flames. that's where our reporter is right now. what is the very latest from where you are? >> reporter: well, kate, i can tell you a lot of residents waking up this morning counting their blessings because here in carlsbad, much of this street was spared. but i want you to look behind me because you can see still smold smoldering, one of two homes damaged on this street alone. residents here say they have seep shirr share of wildfires before, but they have never seen so many pop up so quickly so early in the fire season. breaking overnight. at least nine fires now spreading rapidly, erupting one right after another, already destroying dozens of homes.

you can hear the roar of massive flames engulfing close to 10,000 acres across san diego county. the governor declaring a state of emergency. >> we're doing mandatory evacuations. >> reporter: tens of thousands now fleeing their homes in jeopardy. even legoland, one of the county's popular amusement parks, forced to close along with the university campus, a nuclear power plant in camp pendleton, one of the largest military training bases partially evacuated. >> we have erratic winds, we have low humidity down into the single digits. >> reporter: attacking the blazes from the air and on the ground, thousands of firefighters working around the clock, stunted by 100-degree heat and wind gusts close to 30 miles an hour. >> the wind can change and all of a sudden it just seems like we're going to be safe and we're not so we just packed everything and we're out of there. >> reporter: the unpredictable winds producing terrifying fire tornadoes like this one. just watch the spinning vortex caused by intersecting wind patterns, scattering fire

debris, further complicating efforts to douse the flames. the blazes so out of control, the military now intervening, battling the infernos with seven tankers and over 20 aircrafts including a dc-10 plane mounted with tanks that can hold up to 50 tons of water. >> we're getting help. but the fight is far from over. >> reporter: and while residents out here and crews try to gain the upper hand on the blaze, there's a lot of speculation about just how these fires were sparked. seven fires started on wednesday alone. and officials out here say they are not ruling out arson. chris? >> all right. the urgency right now, though, is how to get the firestoped. akiko, thank you for the reporting. please stay safe this morning. also this morning we are hearing more from donald sterling in the exclusive cnn interview. sterling expressing remorse for what he's done to his estranged

wife, shelly. he's also not buying reports of a possible player boycott and sounding strangely confident that he'll somehow retain ownership of the clippers. take a listen. >> do you believe you will be able to keep the team, though? >> well -- >> because the advertisers certainly, you know -- >> the advertisers are all coming back. let's not be crazy. the fans will all come if you have a good team. if you don't have a good team, people won't come. >> even if you're an owner? >> what am i, a frankenstein? what am i, some kind of an ogre? i'm a good person. i'm a warm person. i say hello to everybody who comes to the team. >> there's some players, though, who have talked about a boycott of the season. >> let's talk. the media pushes that. why would they do that? if they get their salaries, they're going to play. i mean, one day they all love you, and the next day you make a mistake and say something and they hate you?

is that the way it is? what if a player said i don't like working for that jew? what would we do? i wouldn't do anything. i would ask him why? why? i want to make you happy. if you want more money, you know, more attention, more love? >> do you think your wife, shelly, should also be -- should also be removed as an owner? >> do i think she should what? >> should she be able to remain -- maintain her stake, her ownership stake? the team is owned by a trust. >> my wife, shelly, and i are in the process of a divorce. you know, she's worked with me for 58 years, my wife. one wife, 58 years. and she loved the team and always helped me with everything. if for some reason i can't have the team, i think that she should have her interest -- i

mean, she didn't do anything. i brought all this on her, the poor girl. i don't know how she can live and deal with this. i guess i was bad committing all those terrible -- i don't even want to say it -- but you know, people say how do you commit adultery? you justify things. you say, well, every man in paris or france has a mistress. it may make you smile, but when you're so old, you don't think it's wrong anymore. if you have a little bit of fun. you don't have much time. if you have a little bit of fun, you can't do what you did before. and nobody expect -- but you want to be cared for. everybody wants to be cared for. i made such a mistake. i thought that woman really cared for me.

>> if your wife maintained her stake in the team, would you be able to influence events through her? >> probably not. if they want to negotiate, they would probably deal with me separately. >> for more on this and what's next for donald sterling, our columnist for "the l.a. times" and shawn gregory, senior writer at "time." great to see you both once again, of course. shawn, we were kind of talking about this as we're watching the interview. he does not believe that advertisers are leaving. he says very specifically, the advertisers are all coming back. let's not be crazy. any suggestion that the advertisers are on their way back? >> no, no suggestion at all. and that's the key. if advertisers don't come back, that's why the league has justification to kick him out. it's about adverse effects on the brand. and when the money's going away, that's an adverse effect on the brand. that's written right in the nba constitution. and that's what the league is justifying this move on. >> robin, follow me on this one. if -- big if -- if sponsors

would come back and they have not yet kicked him out of the league, does that change anything? >> you know, it changes something financially, i suppose, for the team and for the league, but it doesn't change very much for the players and the fans. and those are people who have to be placated as well. i don't think we can underestimate how upset people in los angeles are about this and also the players who have been rumbling maybe, you know, it's hollow words at this point about a boycott, but the minute you even hear that word being bandied about, i think you have to take it seriously and understand just how upset the players are. >> well, and let's talk about even the suggestion of a boycott. there's a little back-and-forth on this, but i want to get your general take on what kind of message you think that sends. you have lebron james who was asked about pregame five last night. he was asked about the suggestion from the vice president of the players association that he had said he'd boycott if donald sterling was not gone by next season.

and then that had to be walked back a little bit. lebron james denied it. roger mason, who we're talking about, roger mason jr., he tweeted this afterward. my bad if i was not clear. lebron james never said anything about boycotting. he's a friend and i would never want to imply something that he didn't say. but, but, but the suggestion that they're even talking about it, robin, what kind of message does that send, do you think? >> i think it sends a big, loud warning to the sterlings, to the nba and to everybody that these -- this may have been locker room talk, but i don't think it was idle locker room talk. i mean, nobody -- these guys stand to make so much money. the league stands to make so much money. each team is worth so much. and they generate scads of money every season. so when you're talking about a boycott, you're talking about some pretty serious economic damage. i don't think anybody wants to see the league go there. but it does just raise the issue of how upset the players are.

three-quarters to 80% of this league are african-american players. and they're not going to sit idly by while the sterling futz around trying to figure out how they can really keep control of the team. >> look, donald sterling doesn't believe it, doesn't believe that suggestion at all when anderson brought it up. that's all talk. the media is pushing that. why would they do that? if they get their salaries, they're going to play. sa shawn, do you think that the players would boycott? >> it's -- >> it's a big step. >> it's a big step, and i think at the end of the day, donald sterling is not going to be the controlling owner of the clippers. >> right. we don't even need to talk about that. >> yeah, it's interesting discussion. and i know lebron's walking back probably because they're playing, you know, a playoff series and he's going for a championship. so whether he said exactly that to roger mason or not, i agree the grumblings are what's important. but at the end of the day, i don't think there's going to be a need for a boycott. >> what do you think about the discussion of shelly sterling and kind of where things go for her? legal minds that we've been talking to seem to be a bit of a

split decision if she has a case here. i want to get both of your takes. what do you think, shawn? >> i think -- i can see the case if they get divorced and she has a claim on 50%. i think under california community property laws, if they're still together and he gets -- and the team is forced to be sold, she can lose her share as well. but either way, even if she has 50%, she's not going to be the controlling owner. the nba has to approve controlling ownership. so if she has a 50% stake in the asset, i don't think she's going to have much say over the decision-making of the team. >> but if we're talking about messages, robin, what kind of message does that send, you think? what do you think? she didn't say these things. >> well, i think -- but here's what i think. i think shelly sterling is a lot smarter than her husband who failed to surround himself with lawyers or pr crisis experts. she has hired a lawyer. she has hired a crisis firm. she at least is watching what she says and trying to be careful. but that being said, i think the

name is tanlted in some ways. and i think what you're going to be seeing next are a lot of stories about these civil rights housing discrimination lawsuits that the sterlings were involved in. >> you've written a very compelling piece on that. >> in 2006. yeah. i mean, she was a codefendant in these cases. let's not forget. and while yes, there was no jury finding of guilt, there were multi, multimillion-dollar cases and scads of depositions about the terrible racially tinged things that the sterlings did as landlords of apartment houses in los angeles. and i don't think she's going to be able to escape the stigma of having been part of those federal civil rights discrimination cases. >> real quick. >> if the sponsors stay out, if shelly still has 50%, then the nba perhaps has grounds to force her out as well. >> unfortunately money does talk still in this league. but they are making a strong point that it has nothing to do with money and the players may have a say in that as well. robin, great to see you.

shawn, great to see you as well. i'm very interested to see what the league's next move is and when they make it. michaela? >> kate, thanks so much. let's look at more of your headlines at 11 past the hour. hope is fading in the desperate search for survivors from this week's mine explosion in turkey. nearly 300 people are already confirmed dead. another 100 more are still trapped. now, if any are still alive, they're dealing with wretched conditions including smoke and the presence of carbon monoxide. devastated families are venting their anger at government officials who insist the mine passed safety inspections. same-sex couples in arkansas are in a kind of legal limbo this morning after the state supreme court let stand a lower court ruling invalidating a voter-approved ban on gay marriage. some 450 licenses have already been put out, but no new licenses will be issued. the justices said a law barring county clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, that remains in effect.

remember this video? appearing to show jay-z in a fight with beyonce's sister, solange? the standard hotel says it's fired the people who leaked that video and it will turn over all available information to criminal authorities. the person who leaked that tape has not been made public. the website tmz says the fight happened after the metropolitan museum of art gala earlier this month. they move pretty quick. and so have the spoofs of said -- >> yes. >> -- battle in the elevator. in particularly i like jeanne moos' rendition. >> i have yet to see that one. i'll have to look it up. >> it is ripe for the teasing. >> "saturday night live" this weekend could be interesting. capitol hill finally taking notice of our cnn investigation. dozens of veterans may have died waiting for medical attention at v.a. hospitals. now veterans secretary is testifying, veterans affairs committee chairman, senator bernie sanders joins us next.

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welcome back to "new day." secretary of veterans affairs eric shinseki is on the hot seat, testifying before the senate veterans affairs committee about shocking allegations first reported to you by cnn. among them, that at least 40 veterans may have died while waiting for medical attention from a v.a. hospital. president obama has now put his deputy chief of staff on the v.a.'s review. but our next guest is backing the secretary and giving some different perspective here. it may surprise you. he is independent senator from vermont, bernie sanders. he's also the chairman of the veterans affairs committee, joining us from capitol hill.

senator, thank you for joining us. appreciate it. the first question is an obvious one. do you believe the v.a. is doing what it needs to do by our veterans? >> that is the key question. and let me just say this. if you talk to veterans all over this country, if you look at patient satisfaction surveys, what you end up finding is that the v.a. holds up as good or better than private hospitals. by and large, veterans throughout america believe that they're getting pretty good health care. but here's the main point, chris. the v.a. serves 6.5 million veterans. 200,000 of them every single day. what is clear is that in a system that large, there are problems. and there are some serious problems. so i think that in a pretty good system, there are problems. we have got to get at those problems. because at the end of the day, the people who put their lives on the line to defend us deserve the best quality care in

america, and we are going to get at those problems, and we're going to root them out. >> but you know, senator, that a big thing driving the concern is that this is not new. not just what we uncovered in the cnn investigation, but the reason -- the mandate for shinseki when he was put in, senator, was that we knew there were big lapses at the v.a. that had to be addressed, and you could argue they have not been. isn't it time for accountability? >> the answer is you make a very good point, and that is exactly one of the questions that i'll be asking secretary shinseki today. but in terms of these accusations, one of the things, i think, chris, that we don't want to do is get out in front of ourselves. the truth of the matter is that the v.a. is now -- that the inspector general of the v.a., an independent entity, is now investigating what took place in phoenix. and we do not know what took place in phoenix. the allegations may be correct. they may not be correct. and that's what we're looking at right now.

>> why do you not trust the cnn reporting that drew griffin and his team did on this? when they talk about the 40 people, the deadly delays, how -- the way the process is run and the waiting game is played, wound up costing lives? >> okay. can i read you a quote? >> please. >> all right. this is what cnn said on april 30th. at least 40 u.s. veterans died waiting for appointments at the phoenix veterans affairs health care system, many of whom were placed on a secret waiting list, end of quote. a few days later, this is what cnn said. now with dr. foot -- and dr. foote is the doctor who made the allegations -- what dr. foote and others have told us is that of the many, many people on that list, all veterans, 40 of them have since passed away. the allegation is not that the delay in care caused that, only that that is what is now being investigated. did the delay in care of these people on the secret waiting

list actually cause these deaths? we don't know. but that is what the office of inspector general is, in fact, investigating. >> is it unfair criticism, senator, to see -- you sound like a lawyer defending the hospital as opposed to a senator trying to make sure the right thing is done. >> that is exactly what i want, chris. i want the right thing to do. the second statement is exactly correct. we don't know. and that's why we have -- why the v.a. has asked an inspector general to investigate that. the first statement is not correct. >> hold on a second. senator, with all due respect, we don't know that the first statement is not correct. you're saying you don't have the proof of it being correct to your satisfaction. this doctor felt that it was correct. and you don't know that it isn't correct. >> no. what the second statement said is we don't know. >> no, the second statement says we know that they're dead. you're saying you want to connect the dots better. that's fair pushback, but it's not that we know it's incorrect. >> we know that people die every day. we don't know why they die.

anyhow, chris, i don't want to argue that point till the cows come home. here's what you've got. you've got a system that by and large, i think, works reasonably well for veterans. i think you've got 300,000 employees out there, many of whom who are veterans themselves who are trying to do their best. you've got cutting-edge stuff in terms of telehealth, complimentary and alternative medicine. there are problems, and we have got to get at those problems. but we need the facts to lead us to where we want to go. >> i hear you, senator. and you know that it's not my motivation just to kind of cherry-pick and to try to do yellow journalism on this. there is heightened sensitivity because these are the men and women that we've promised the best to. >> absolutely. >> and we have to ensure that. of course there are always endemic problems with health care. we know that story all too well. but it gets a little bit of a bad feeling here about what the motivation is for these hearings, whether it's to defend the v.a. or to do the hard truth of accountability and make change. >> okay. good question.

this hearing is to look at v.a. health care. what i have said, chris -- and i'll say it again -- the day after the inspector general completes its investigation -- i don't know if it's the day after -- but as soon as possible, we will do hearings. what today's hearing is about is to look at the quality of v.a. health care. what are the problems? and as you have indicated, there are problems. and the major problem i think is what you just touched on. there have been reports year after year about waiting lists. has the v.a. effectively dealt with that? i don't think so. there is another issue. when you have waiting lists, may it simply be that the v.a. doesn't have enough doctors and nurses and staff. are we putting enough money into the v.a.? is the v.a. appropriating its resources appropriately? are there some places in the country where, in fact, you may have too much staff and other places where the v.a. population is growing where we don't have enough staff? those are some of the questions that i think we need to explore. >> you have not mentioned the

secretary, senator. do you believe that the secretary has done his job to date? >> i think by and large under very difficult circumstances, secretary shinseki has done a good job. i think where he is very, very weak is in terms of communication. i think he does not a good job in communicating with the congress or certainly with the american people and the media. i think if areas -- you know, when he came into office, chris, just one example. if you can imagine this, do you know how claims were done before shinseki came into office? they were done by paper. in the year 2009, we were still doing claims by paper. he has transformed that system into an electronic system. you and i know that one of the scandals in america is the level of homelessness among veterans. we are making some significant progress in reducing that. so i think -- you know, i'm not here to -- i think the secretary has made mistakes, but ultimately, i think he is doing a decent job. >> look, we wanted you on "new day," senator, because you deserve the respect that you get

when it comes to veterans and taking care of their interests. that's why there's so many eyeballs on this and on the secretary's testimony and the pushback today. thank you for coming on with us. appreciate it. and look forward to what happens. >> good. thank you. >> all right. take care, senator. kate? coming up next on "new day," would lebron james lead an nba boycott if donald sterling isn't forced to sell the clippers? rachel nichols found out in an exclusive interview. ortho crime files.male ann] reckless seeding... ...failure to disappear. a backyard invasion. homeowner takes matters into his own hands. ♪ ortho weed b gon max. with the one-touch, continuous spray wand... kills weeds without harming innocent lawns. guaranteed. weeds killed. lawn restored. justice served. weed b gon max with the one-touch wand. get order. get ortho®. weed b gon max with the one-touch wand. honestly, the off-season isn't i've got a lot to do. that's why i got my surface.

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all right. time for the five things you need to know for your new day. record heat, drought and santa ana wind conditions expected to keep fueling those wildfires in southern california. nine fast-moving wildfires have already burned 9,200 acres so far. crews are racing to find people trapped after a mine explosion in turkey. nearly 300 people are dead. the hope is fading quickly to find survivors underground. conditions there include smoke and the presence of carbon monoxide. the captain and three officers from a south korea ferry that capsized and sank have now been charged with murder. nearly 300 people died in that disaster, mostly high school students. prosecutors say the crew didn't do enough to save those on board. the world health organization is calling now the threat for middle east respiratory syndrome, mers, serious and urgent, but not yet

a global health emergency. there are now two confirmed cases right here in the united states. and he says he's a giver, not a hater. l.a. clippers' owner donald sterling says he hopes people will forgive the racist comments that he made and he beliefs he can still keep the team. we always update those five things to know. visit cnn.com for the latest. chris? >> of course, the reason he wouldn't be able to keep the team is because the owners in the nba association say he can't. and a big reason they may say he can't is because the players want that to happen. so as we learn more about the league's effort to force sterling out, some are going even further than that. in fact, the vice president of the players union says lebron james will lead a walkout if sterling sticks around. is that true? what would it mean? could it even happen? rachel nichols, host of cnn's "unguarded" sat down with king james exclusively. she joins us now from miami. great get, rachel.

what did we learn? >> reporter: roger mason jr. very strong on tv the other night, saying lebron won't be playing if donald sterling owns the team this fall. so i sat down and asked lebron. he said it's not quite that simple. it's really about whether they have faith in what the nba is doing at the time. take a listen. >> i think the most important thing that we understand is that adam silver is moving forward. you know, he's not just for the owners, he's for the players as well. and the direction that they're going in, we're all for it. you know, so we look forward to the next step, and we go from there. >> reporter: is there a point where you feel like boycott could be an effective tool for the players? >> well, i think at this position or at this point, the direction that adam is going and the nba is going, i don't think there should be a need for it. you know, we trust those guys, and we know that they're going to take care of what needs to be done for our league, and we understand it's not going to be, you know, tomorrow. you know, the system will not work tomorrow, but the direction that they're going in, we're all

for it. >> reporter: so basically lebron's saying, look. a boycott is for if they think the leaders of the nba, adam silver, the board of governors, aren't doing what they promised to do, if they feel like they need to point. and look, he is holding the right to still do that. he didn't come out and say i would never boycott, but he feels that as long as they are in good faith, the nba going through the process of removing sterling, they're not going to sit there and make threats and put dates on things, at least he's not, and he is certainly the most influential player in the league. >> it's interesting, though, rachel. i don't know, i'd have to look closer at the union agreement. i don't know that they could even qualify this as a strike. it would be interesting to see how they came up with the way to do it. let me ask you about something else while i have you. shelly sterling. again, looking at the documents involved and understanding it, my take is i don't think she's going to get very far with the league in claiming that she has an ownership stake by their definition. what's yours? >> reporter: yeah, absolutely. by the way, that's another thing

that lebron and i had talked about. he said no way do any of the players want her anywhere near that team or frankly any other member of the family. as far as they are concerned, this is a sterlingwide issue. so when they are talking about a boycott or not or anything else, they mean for all the sterlings. and the nba, as you said, is very firm. a controlling owner is an actual title. there is a designation for that, and donald sterling is the controlling owner. he is the one who has the seat on the board of governors. he is the one who is approved for that position. shelly sterling, while she might be a 50% owner, is not the controlling owner. she is not the member of the board of governors. so when they oust the member of the board of governors, the controlling owner, they oust the whole ownership group. shelly sterling has claimed recently in the past few days that this is sexism, that people aren't treating her as a 50% owner. there is an actual designation for a controlling owner. the sterlings themselves decided that would be donald, and the nba is clear -- the constitution is clear -- if the controlling owner is thrown out, everyone gets thrown out.

>> rachel, appreciate it. breaking it down. now even i understand. rachel nichols, thank you very much, host of cnn's "unguarded." kate? next on "new day," it is a court decision with major implications for thousands of fathers. jason patrick taking a big legal step towards seeing his son. he'll be here to talk about what this means ahead. his room at laquinta.com,mes bos he gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. so he knows exactly when he can check in and power up before his big meeting. and when alan gets all powered up, ya know what happens? i think the numbers speak for themselves. i'm sold! he's a selling machine! put it there. and there, and there, and there. la quinta inns & suites is ready for you, so you'll be ready for business. the ready for you alert, only a laquinta.com! la quinta!

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tonight hillary clinton jumps into campaign mode, headlining a fund-raiser in new york not for herself, of course, but someone close to the family. chelsea clinton's mother-in-law.

marjorie margolies is a longtime ally who may have lost her pennsylvania house seat out of loyalty to the clintons way back when. now she's fighting to get that seat back and calling in the big guns. cnn's chief political analyst gloria borger is in washington with much more. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. she is calling in the big guns. margolies lost her seat 20 years ago with a single vote that saved bill clinton's presidency. and now she's attempting a comeback. and for her and the clintons, the story has only grown more personal. >> i would be here if her son was not my son-in-law. >> reporter: "she" is marjorie margolies. her son happens to be married to chelsea clinton. chelsea is now expecting a baby. >> mark and i are very excited. >> reporter: and her mom may be running for president. your son has married into a political dynasty. what's that like? >> it's surprisingly normal.

>> reporter: that depends on how you define "normal." because the back story of the two families is anything but. >> i'm not coming here saying vote for her because 20 years ago she saved the economy. >> reporter: she also saved clinton's presidency. it was 1993. clinton's defining economic plan was on the house floor and about to die. >> the republicans were high fiving, saying it's going down. >> reporter: she was a holdout. a philadelphia freshman who had won by just over 1,000 votes. >> a lot of democrats were talking about changing their vote. >> reporter: that's when the president called. >> and i said, and i will only be your last vote. i know how important this is. >> reporter: he hung up and then watched her from the white house. >> so we all gather around this little one foot, you know, 13-inch screen and watched the vote. marjorie walked down that aisle to cast that vote. and republicans stood there and taunted her and said bye, bye, marjorie. bye, bye, marjorie. >> the vote was needed.

and i gave him the 218. >> so i'm quite sure he knew that that was a political death nell. >> reporter: and it was. >> i do not regret my vote, nor do i apologize for it. >> there was a lot of hostility in that room. >> reporter: hostility that would send her packing after just one term. fast forward 20 years, and now her old seat is open with one big difference. the district has been redrawn, and it's solidly democratic. so she's at it again, locked in a tight primary as an advocate for abortion rights and the middle class. is this a little bit the politics of redemption, to a degree? >> i'm not sure. i think it would be more resilience. i don't have any retirement skills. >> reporter: she spent the last two decades on women's issues both outside and inside politics. >> sexual harassment on capitol

hill. is it there? >> well, first of all, i think it has to be addressed. >> reporter: do you think women have a harder time still running? >> when i was running in the '90s, i always got questions as to how -- who's taking care of your children? and even if the questions aren't asked, they're there. >> reporter: in this campaign, she started as the big-name front-runner and has been attacked on campaign finances, for coasting early on, and for her use of a valuable asset, the clintons. >> he seems like a great guy, but everything he's talking about happened in the past. >> we always knew that if they came in too much, we would be blamed for their coming in too much. if they didn't come in enough, people would say they didn't come in enough. you're kind of damned if you do and damned if you don't. they have done everything we've asked them to do. and i am running on what i have

accomplished in the last 20 years and not on my affiliation with the clintons. >> reporter: but she's not exactly running away from them either. >> and this district will be well served if you elect her. >> reporter: did she consult with the former president about running? >> i called and he said, i think it's a good idea. but that's pretty much it. >> reporter: she's even more guarded if you dare to ask some personal questions about life in the clinton family. >> it's just -- it's an area that i will not get into. they are lovely. the clintons couldn't be any nicer. >> reporter: are you going to talk about what it's like to be co-grandmother in chief? >> no. >> reporter: after four decades in the public eye, margolies knows how to stay on message, even when it's hillary clinton. is there any doubt in your mind that she's running? >> she has said that she is

making up her mind, and i take her at her word. >> reporter: so -- >> she has said that she's making up her mind, and i take her at her word. she has said -- >> reporter: well, there you have it. she clearly, as can you tell, wants to be mom when it comes to the clintons, and she's focusing like a laser, as someone once said, on her democratic primary, and that's next tuesday. and chris and kate, it's going to be a very close race. >> and she was definitely not going there on the question of being a grandmother. >> reporter: not going there. >> there you have it. >> reporter: she's on lockdown. >> she is on lockdown. we'll see. well, she would be a key ally for any clinton administration, if that would be the case in the house, that's for sure. >> our thanks to gloria. >> thanks, gloria. >> did you see who's in the green room? >> i did. coming up on "new day," take a look. you know who that is. that's jason patric. remember his story? he was? the legal battle of his life over his son. well, the case just came down, and jason has won a decision

that many thought was very unlikely. huge implications for his life and for a lot of other parents. we're going to tell you in a second. quick break first and a handshake. my name is karen and i have diabetic nerve pain. it's progressive pain. first you have that, that feeling of numbness. then you get the hot pins. it got to the point where i felt like, almost like lightning bolts, hot strikes into my feet. the pain was, it was... i just couldn't handle it,

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woman: this is not exactly what i expected. man: definitely more murdery than the reviews said. captain obvious: this is a creepy room. man: oh hey, captain obvious. captain obvious: you should have used hotels.com. their genuine guest reviews are written by guests who have genuinely stayed there. instead of people who lie on the internet. son: look, a finger. captain: that's unsettling. man: you think? captain: all the time. except when i sleep. which i would not do here. hotels.com would have mentioned the finger. welcome back. and this is one of those legal problems that sounds complicated until you actually get into it. the fundamental question was, should dads with kids who are conceived through artificial insemination be able to see their children? i mean, you'd say well, yeah, of course, right?

well, it's not always that simple. according to a california judge, if the dad and mom had a long-term relationship, the answer is yes. the case, however, that we're talking about involved a notable figure, actor jason patric whose ex wouldn't let jason see his boy. jason joins us now along with his attorney, fred silverberg. welcome to you both. so this is what happens. let me sum it up quickly for everybody. you go to court. the mother of the child says you're not really the father because in california, the law said unless we have an explicit contract between the two of us that will co-parent, you're just a donor. and the judge wouldn't even let you prove that you were the parent because he said well, you know, absent the contract, you don't get that right. true so far, right? >> true. that's correct. >> so this winds up tearing your life in half. you are not a public person. you don't like getting into the media for any reason, let alone this, but you felt compelled. what did you think was being done to you? >> well, i was being railroaded by an arcane law and a system that has a lot of holes in it.

and you know, i had an ex that had a vendetta and had a lot of money behind her to do it. you know, the fact was it's about the child, always about the child. >> gus. >> gus, my son. and so i was going to fight to leave this trail for him. and in that process found out so many other parents in this sort of alienated situation. so no matter how i want my privacy to be respected, i felt compelled. >> when people first hear this story, they say nope. there's something we're not hearing. you know, it doesn't make sense. but fred, speak to where this law came from, this idea of an ivf donor having an express law to keep them from a child. why was it developed, and why was it misapplied? >> this law came from a set of statutes, something called the uniform parentage act. and it's the law in about 43 of the 50 states. and the intent originally was to protect married couples who needed a sperm donor so that the donor would not come back later and say i have a claim to this child. >> which sometimes happened. >> right. >> and was a real problem in the courts. >> and also to protect the sperm

donor himself so that he wasn't held liable for child support down the road. but jason was never a sperm donor. and so the application of this law to his case was completely unjust. >> the first thing i remember, the first thing that turned my head in this case was you showed me a document. you said hey, look. i could have signed away and been this person that they're casting me as right in the beginning. it says look, right here, no parental rights. i did the other one. and i have all this proof. here's me and my kid. here's me and my kid. and the desperation seemed to suggest i didn't understand how the court was doing this. how did you make sense of why the court was doing this? just relying on the letter of the law? >> i think that five other judges or nine other judges would have seen it differently. you know, i've never been in this situation. it's sort of a tragic thing happens to you, and you can drive yourself insane, which i did every night as to how can this happen, or you can say you know what? something's happened. the tree fell on the house and how many i going to fix this? and that's the way i looked at it.

>> i talk about it as the law because i'm a lawyer. for you this is all about your son. how long has it been since you've been allowed to see your boy? >> 64 weeks. >> 64 weeks. obviously well over a year. how old was he when this started? >> 3 years old. so i've missed his entire third year. he's 4 now. 4 and a couple months. it's tortured me every day. as you know, when i was here, the last time i saw him, he said i'm missing you dadda. i said i'll see you tomorrow. and i've never seen him again. and every effort to his mother to let me see my son, legal letters, personal letters, e-mails, everything, no response. >> how constant has the pain been for you while you're waiting for this legal part to take part, to take action? >> immeasurable. immeasurable. each way you find a different way to do it. what i did was starting stand up for gus which became this huge movement resources for alienated parents. >> stand up for gus. it's got a facebook page.

>> facebook, standupforgus.com website. we've raised a lot of money. we've hired a lawyer in los angeles that for a year will represent parents that have been tapped out by the legal system that are fighting for custody. and i hope that's a pilot program that will go other places, but mainly to bring attention to this parental alienation. my child was isolated and abducted. and it's a terrible form of child abuse, and it's a plague all over this country right now. >> the pain was enough for you that when we were having this first discussion, we were having it appropriately in a bar. i mean, because this was something that was just weighing on you, and you were doing anything you could to deal with the pain of not seeing the person who's most important to you in your life. and you were holding out hope that some court would see it your way. and then you started stand for gus, and they pushed back, the family, the mother of the child said you can't even use his name. and you got a big victory where they said, you know, just for first amendment reasons, let alone the connection of this man to the child, he should be able to use it. and that was the glimmer of

hope. i want to take a break now because i want to talk about what that decision meant to you. and then the momentum that led you into this one and then what happens next because you still have to find a way back to your son. so jason, fred, stay with us. we'll take a break. we'll have more on this right after. stay with us. let me get this straight... [ female voice ] yes? lactaid® is 100% real milk? right. real milk. but it won't cause me discomfort. exactly, no discomfort, because it's milk without the lactose. and it tastes? it's real milk! come on, would i lie about this?

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more now with jason patric and his attorney.

and then it gets worse. you lose in court because of this law that was designed for something else but catches you up because of how you had the child with the mother of the child, through ivf. you then say, all right. so this law is a problem because it was supposed to protect ivf and protect the donors, but i'm not a donor, so we'll fix the law. but then, fred, what happens? with what seemed like an obvious change to the law, what happened with politics? >> what happened with politics is the politicians didn't do what they were supposed to do. they ak nomed in the california legislature that the law was never intended to have this result. that the law came from a period of time when people didn't have children in this manner, meaning unmarried couples choosing to have a child together, using fertility treatments. and knowing that and knowing the outcome, they didn't take the action necessary. the california senate did, but the assembly didn't. >> why not? >> because the lobbyists that were hired essentially by the shrivers, they worked against it, and they told them that they shouldn't be intervening in an active case and they made the

pitch that we were trying to, by sponsoring this bill, affect the outcome of the case. and what we were trying to do was affect a social problem, something that should have been addressed. this case brought light to the situation. >> because, as you were saying, what you learned as you went through your own personal process and pain, there are a lot of jason patrics out there. that's why you started stand up for gus, and they need the law changed because other states have the law as well, yes? >> yeah, they need the law changed because there's a lot of people that are not getting married and having kids. by the way, same-sex couples. this has huge ramifications for that. and as i said, you can't turn a child away from a parent. you can't do it. and it's happening all over the place. and this is what happened to me. they just used an extreme mechanism to do it. >> now, you don't dispute that the relationship itself had its problems. you know, there was a break-up. but then what happened was is an extension of the anger between the two of you, this law was used to cut you out of your son's life. that's your belief. >> no anger with me. i would have given her anything. and i said, i just want gus to have the happy life he's always

had. i was stunned by these proce proceedin proceedings. sunne stunned. >> you've gotten this big decision, but it is not over. >> no. >> you now will get the chance that prove that you are not just the biological parent, but you are the parent here. do you have any question whether or not you can prove it to the satisfaction of a judge? >> absolutely i will, without question. they thought this. it's the reason they fought in the legislature. it's the reason they even tried to delay or appeal. because when i go in there with the evidence i have, my three years of raising my son, the school forms are on the father, pediatrician forms, hundreds of pictures, hundreds of video. the mother teaching the child who i am, e-mails, everything that a father or a parent would have with their child, i have. i was not able to show that in court before. and now i can't wait to have that moment. >> so that's your head. but then there's your heart. the first thing you do, fred, is you go in and you try to reinstate visitation. >> absolutely. >> how much are you dreaming of seeing your son? >> it's -- it's a dream, a

mirage, a distant gauze-covered memory, really. he's 4. i haven't seen him in 64 weeks. i don't know what his hair looks like, what his little voice is like, his language. and i have bad dreams about it all the time. you know, it's one of those things when i'm there, i'm just going to let him bring it to me. because i know people talk about this being jason patric's story. it's not jason patric's story. this is gus's story. gus was a little 3-year-old boy whose father all of a sudden dropped through a trap door and was taken away. whose parent took away every picture of him of his father, who never spoke about him again. this is gus's story. and it's about all these other children that are facing the same thing who do not have the voice and not able to open up the true narrative to what their loving relationships were. >> hopefully at the end of it, there's a little boy who's got a lot of love coming his way from a daddy who wants to be with him very much. jason patric, fred, thank you very much. keep us informed about the case as it goes forward. we're going to continue following it like we have from the